Living Skies regional meeting: summary of two proposals and one remit
(Please note: an email with details on accessing the meeting via Zoom was sent Monday October 26. If you have any problems finding that information, please contact Bev Diebert, registrar, at bdiebert@united-church.ca or 306-704-0181.)
On Wednesday October 28 all delegates and visitors will discuss the following two proposals and the Remit, detailed below. On Wednesday November 4 delegates will vote on all three. All form part of the docket (official meeting documents), available on the regional gathering 2020 page.
Here is a summary:
1) NEW proposal from the Executive: removing the 20% extra regional assessment for 2021: At the May 2019 inaugural meeting of Living Skies Regional Council, concern was expressed about the financial viability of the twelve community/ mission ministries within Saskatchewan (please click here for a full list.) An extra regional assessment of 20% was agreed to for 2020 and 2021 only. Several letters of concern were received by the Executive over the following months, prior to COVID, noting that this created hardship for their communities of faith. In March 2020, our buildings were shut down because of the COVID pandemic, creating further financial strain whose end is not yet in sight.
Please note that the proposal addresses 2021 only. The assessment monies for 2020 have already been received or are pending the end of the temporary freeze on all assessments enacted by the national church in response to COVID. Please read the entire proposal and some background here.
2) Proposal to the Regional Council: Banning conversion therapy in SK: This is a proposal from Grosvenor Park United Church in Saskatoon, seeking the Region's support in banning “conversion therapy” in the province of Saskatchewan. Please see the proposal here. Conversion therapy seeks to change the gender identity or sexual orientation of anyone other than cisgender or heterosexual people, and often has a Christian justification.
3) Background on Remit 1: Remit 1 proposes a simple and very important gender-inclusive change to the church’s language describing who is eligible to be a minister. Please find here a short resource to help voting delegates and the wider church understand how the Remit works; what the proposed change is; why it makes a difference; and further resources. Please note that the wording of the Remit cannot be edited or changed in any way by our Regional Council, as it is a national church process.
We look forward to an important time of discernment Wednesday October 28 and of deciding on these on November 4.
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